The Captain and the Midnight Sun
by imapinkdinosaur
Summary: While taking a kind-of vacation in Sweden, novel writer Ingrid Selvig is visited by her uncle Eric Selvig and the Avengers. She is forced into an adventure and has a hard time stopping herself from staring at Steve Roger's god-like form.
1. New Encounters

Chapter 1: New Encounters

The water lapped onto the pillars of the dock as the sun shone lazily, half hiding behind a cloud. Allowing the suns rays to meet her pasty-skin, Ingrid desperately attempted to obtain some sort of color. She knew it was of no use. Throughout her twenty-five years of living, she never managed to accomplish her goal, not even when she spent an entire summer in the sweltering heat of Mexico when she was sixteen. She had decided earlier that summer that she would cease with the purposeful tanning attempts, and instead go on a vacation that would allow her to relax, and if she happened to miraculously turn a shade darker, it would be a great surprise. She rearranged her light blonde hair so she could lay her head down in a more comfortable position. Her mind wandered, and she began to fall asleep.

She awoke to a fat drop of water landing on her forehead, and decided to go back into her uncle's cabin. As the rain grew harder, she looked at the flowers and the green grass surrounding the cabin, and realized that there was no other place she would rather be. It was here she always felt safe and happy; Sweden would always give her a sense of nostalgia and belonging.

The cabin was always inviting, with it's maroon colored panels, and black-lined windows. A smile broke out on her face and she remembered spending many childhood summers laying in the grass and rolling down the hill. She opened the door, walked into the tiny kitchen, and turned on the kettle so as to make her afternoon tea. The old floorboards creaked under toe as she made her way to the small living room to read and wait for the water to boil. Ingrid took a deep breath and smelled the wood and clean air, and at that moment, vowed to herself that she would never be happier anywhere else. Before she sat down she put on her favorite record out of her uncle's collection. The jazz music and the wail of Bessie Smith filled the small cabin, and sat down to continue writing her mystery novel.

Before she could begin, a knock came at the door. Knowing no one in the area, she wondered whom on earth it could be that knocked on her door. Perplexed, she walked over to see who it was. Looking out the window at the side of the door she saw her uncle Eric standing there, waving merrily. "Hello, Ingrid! Open the door!" He smiled. Behind him was a small group of people who seemed familiar, but she could not identify. However, she was happy to see the smiley face of her uncle, and gladly opened the door.

"So sorry for interrupting your vacation so abruptly, but it is important that my friends and I meet somewhere private, and this was the only place I could think of."

"Don't worry about it. You can come here anytime. I was just getting ready to have my tea."

"Oh, good! We'll just meet in the living room. You can join us if you like."

Ingrid nodded her head. She went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea. As she made it, her uncle came in.

"Ingrid, before you go out there, you have to know something about my friends." Said her uncle in Swedish.

"What?" She replied.

"They are the Avengers."

Ingrid stared at her uncle in surprise. "The…Avengers? The ones who almost destroyed New York?"

"Yes. Them. Would you…like to meet them?"

"Sure." Ingrid said.

They abandoned the tea for the moment and walked into the living room. The Avengers were sitting quietly, glancing at one another. Eric began to speak:

"Hello everyone, this is my niece, Ingrid. She has been staying in the cabin for about a month now."

"Hello Ingrid." The group answered in unison. Ingrid merely smiled at them in acknowledgement.

"Ingrid, these are the Avengers. Bruce Banner, who you would know as the Hulk, is to your left, then there is Tony Stark, or Iron Man, Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow, Clint Barton, Hawkeye, Thor, and Steve Rogers, or Captain America as he is known."

Ingrid's eyes had followed her uncle's finger as he pointed at each hero. She marveled at the normal appearance of each hero. Her eyes lingered a little longer than comfortable at the hunk of attractiveness that took the shape of Steve Rogers. She shook her head of the shallow thought, and looked carefully at each hero. She saw the shifty uneasy eyes of Bruce Banner, the calm tough demeanor of Natasha Romanov, a similar trait in Clint Barton, she saw the wrinkles around Tony Stark's eyes and his shielded yet cocky air, Thor's large body and friendly smile sent a warm comfortable feeling through her body, and finally she allowed herself to take a look at Steve Rogers. She saw that his strong body was held in a defense stance, he was confident but soft. His smile was friendly enough, but he seemed anxious as if he were waiting for something big. He looked straight at her, and she nodded her head in acknowledgement. His smile broadened and nodded in return. She turned her head to her uncle.

"Would you like some tea? I have some biscuits in the fridge to go with it."

Her uncle smiled, "Yes. I believe we could all use some tea."

Ingrid hummed to herself as she walked to the kitchen. She sang her familiar song to herself, preparing the tea for her uncle and friends. She placed the kettle on the stove and made sure the flame was on. Then she quickly emptied a packet of biscuits onto a plate. As the water heated, she began hum "La Vie en Rose" and daydreamed. In her day dream she was living in her uncle's cabin, alone and content. She imagined herself swimming in the cold water, taking long walks in the forest, having her afternoon coffee sitting on the grass, and she imagined herself completely and utterly happy. There was no need for work, no need for stress. Her dissertation would not need to be written, her incomplete novel would not need a due date, and her job would be nonexistent.

She interrupted by a throat clearing. Her head popped up and she turned to face the cougher. Steve Rogers was standing at the door way of the kitchen trying to hide a smirk.

"Sorry to bother you ma'am, but I was wondering if you would like some help."

"Oh, uh…sure. I guess…If you want to…" She mumbled, unsure of how to answer. She had never received help from someone to make tea. "Don't you and your team have more important things to do?"

"Not as important as helping someone who was generous enough to open her door and offer a beverage."

"Oh. It's my uncle's cabin. I'm just using for the summer, I don't actually live here."

"Where do you normally live then?"

"Houston. Texas."

"Really? I've never been there before. Is it nice?"

"It's okay. Some areas are really pretty, and some are really ugly. It all depends on where you go."

"Oh. That's…um…cool. Do I need to do anything?" He looked at her and grinned his striking grin.

"Sure. Here." She handed him the tray of biscuits that she had dumped haphazardly in a pile. She wasn't one to waste time arranging things in a nice circle. When he left the kitchen, she brewed the tea. She watched as the water in each cup turned a dark brown as the tea diffused into it and carefully placed each cup onto another tray so as not to drop it. Walking a bit slower than her normal pace, she went to serve the tea to her uncle's friends.

"Ah! Good! I was worried we lost you!" Joked her uncle. Ingrid laughed dryly at this, trying to hide her embarrassment. She was a constant daydreamer and could be lost for hours in her own thoughts.

"Mr. Rogers helped me back down to Earth." She said, avoiding the large Dorito-bodied man's gaze. "Otherwise you may have never gotten your tea."

Eric turned to the others and proclaimed, "Ingrid is a daydreamer. All her life we would all struggle to get her attention. Once she took three hours to walk home from school because she was busy thinking about wildflowers." He poker her playfully.

"It was not wildflowers. I was looking at the wildflowers imagining myself as a rose, and being able to bloom at will." Her face was a deep crimson. She looked around the small living room. There were two chairs on the left, occupied by Tony and her uncle. Steve, Thor, Natasha, and Clint occupied the couch that was perpendicular to the chairs. Bruce occupied one of the chairs on the opposite side of the room, leaving the chair that was closest to the tiny bedroom. She was relieved to see a spot so far from Steve, who made her blush just by looking at her.

"Oh, yes I remember. Benny found you standing at your grandmother's garden humming your little song. Your daydreaming is what makes you such a good writer." He turned to the group, "Ingrid writes novels." He informed them.

Ingrid smiled sheepishly at the complement. Her uncle always treated her like a daughter and was always praising her. He was her only living relative and she enjoyed the close bond that they shared. She glanced over at Steve whose grin had grown wider since the last time she had looked over.

"What kind of novels do you write?" He asked genuinely.

"Normally I write science fiction, but I am trying to write a murder mystery at the moment."

"How far along are you?"

"I have the first sentence written, but otherwise, nothing."

"Well. I'm sure you will finish it. You seem smart enough."

Ingrid nodded, embarrassed at the compliment. She could barely look at him without blushing. She looked down at her hands, feigning disinterest at the topic. Her uncle must have sensed her discomfort, because he gave her a way out of the situation.

"Ingrid, if you don't mind, we are going to discuss something private. I would appreciate if you weren't here for it."

Ingrid nodded and got up, relieved to have a reason to leave the room. She decided to take her daily walk. She said her goodbyes and walked to the hallway near the front door, grabbed her jacket, put on her walking shoes, grabbed an umbrella, and went out the door. Walking up the small hill to the trail, she began to daydream. This time, she was thinking about her novel. By the time she got to her favorite spot of the trail, she had decided which of her characters was to be the murderer. She stopped so as to admire the spot that she loved so dearly. She could see the lake at the end of the large field of trees. What she loved most were the different colors. Although the trees were green, not one was the same. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The fresh, clean air filled her lungs, and the cool breeze blew through her hair. After a few minutes, she opened them and turned around to go back to the cabin. She smacked into Steve's chest and let out a yelp. He jumped back and had a concerned look on his face.

"I am so sorry. Your uncle was worried about you, and wondered where you were. I volunteered to come…um…look for you."

Ingrid just stared, surprised at the gesture, and began walking back towards her uncle's cabin. She had no idea how to respond to Steve. He rushed to catch up with her, and met her stride.

"Hey. I am really sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you. But I did call your name a couple times."

Ingrid looked at him, "It's okay. I…um…zone out a lot, and it can be kind of hard to drag me out of it." She turned and looked forward, trying to regain her thoughts.

"Why are you so nervous?" He asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I'm not. I just don't talk much. I spend most of my time alone, writing. That is how I like it."

"Don't you ever feel lonely?"

"No. I tend to like my own company. Big groups make me nervous."

It was Steve's turn to be silent. Ingrid felt guilty. She wished she were more friendly and warm towards others, instead of always seeming uncaring and cold. Sometimes she imagined herself hosting parties and being able to be a warm and inviting host. Steve remained quiet, and Ingrid decided to force herself to say something to him that would be friendly and open up to a conversation.

"Your Captain American costume is really tight." She mentally scolded herself for such a dumb comment. Steve looked at her and smiled.

"Well, I need to be able to have great mobility and to move really fast. So the outfit needs to be tight."

She blushed. "I…know. I just didn't know what else to talk about." She confessed.

"Here. I'll start the conversation for you. What do you like to do besides write?"

"I like to read and listen to music, but not much else. You?"

"Well, when I'm not keeping up with my training, I like to catch up on all the years I have missed. Any friends?"

"A couple, but I like to be alone a lot. I'm not much of a people person."

"I disagree. I think you are a great people person, you just haven't had the opportunity to practice the skill. What about a job? Do you just write, or do you do something else?"

"I mostly write, but sometimes I write articles for whatever newspaper nearby. What about you? What do you do when you are not saving the world?"

"Nothing. Sometimes I help with SHEILD intelligence gathering, but otherwise I spend most of my time doing whatever SHEILD needs me to do."

"Oh. Cool. So…um…how much have you caught up on?"

"Well, I'm at about 1979 history wise, but pop culture wise, I kind of jump around. Natasha keeps recommending films to me, and she's got good taste."

"What movies have you seen?"

"Well, I just finished this thing one movie called _Citizen Kane_. Have you heard of it?"

"I've seen it, but it's not really my style. I prefer movies with aliens and gun fighting. I wish I were more into the classics, but I can't get myself to watch them."

"I enjoyed it. I thought it was intriguing. What movies would you recommend?" He reached into his pocket to grab his catch-up notebook.

"Oh. Um. Well, I am not sure if you would like my style of film."

"Can't say for sure until I try. I have some free time, I would love to see something different."

"Okay. But you asked. _Forbidden Planet_ is one of my favorites. _Star Wars _is cool, and is a good one for first timers, although it could be considered a fantasy rather than just pure science fiction."

"I've seen _Star Wars_! It was one of Tony's recommendations."

"What did you think?"

"I enjoyed it…but it wasn't my style." He stated awkwardly.

"That's okay. We can't all like the same things." She said.

"What about one of your books? Can I read one?"

"Oh. Sure. If you really want to. I have some copies in the cabin. I can loan you one."

Steve nodded excitedly, "I would love to read one."

Ingrid smiled and blushed. She was pleased at the attention Steve seemed to be giving her, and was excited at the notion of him reading her book. Her brain instantly began imagining wild scenarios of her and him cooking together in the small kitchen, swimming together in the lake, having afternoon coffee together, and reading on the docks as the sun sets. She shook her head violently, trying to get rid of the thoughts, reminding herself of her enjoyment of solitude. Her eyes glanced over at Steve, who also seemed deep in thought. She wondered what he was thinking about. Was he thinking about Peggy? His duties? His life? She wished she could read his mind and be able to share some of her thoughts as well. Instead, she let him enjoy his solitude as they walked down the small hill to the cabin. Her uncle was outside the door with his coffee cup in hand. He saw them walking down towards the door and grinned wildly.

"Hello there you two!" He yelled.

"Hello, Uncle." Said Ingrid.

"Where have you been? Were you lost in the head of yours?" He said, teasingly.

"Kind of. I was at the hill."

"Ah. The hill. Even I've been lost there. Did you see anything new?"

"No. That's why I like it. It's always the same. Never changes."

Eric just smiled at his niece. It was the smile he always gave her when she had zoned out for so long. A smile that was both glad to see her, but had a hint of sadness, as if he was worried that one day she would never stop zoning out. Ingrid climbed up the small set of stairs and walking to the cabin. The floorboards creaked as she walked into the living room. Tony and Bruce were the only other people in the room. Outside she could see Natasha and Clint having a disagreement while Thor was trying to catch water bugs at the lake. She turned to go into the bedroom for some more quiet time when Tony interrupted her.

"So, you're Eric's niece?"

"Yes. Well spotted detective."

"Ooo, sarcasm. Nice. So question. Has he always been that…eccentric?"

"Yes. He has. He is very passionate about what he does and he does it well.

"So I gathered. I like your cabin. It's very…quaint. Especially this wallpaper. How old is this place?"

"It was built in the 1930's, so it's not that old."

"Okay, enough beating around the bush. Why are you here? I mean, you seem pretty capable and you don't resemble an ax murderer, so why are you in a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods?"

"It's not secluded. There is a neighbor at the top of hill. And how is me being in this cabin any different from you living in a big mansion in the middle of a big piece of land?"

"Touché. But, you see, I make the Ironman suits, so I need a certain amount of seclusion so ensure that no one steals my technology. I don't see why you need to be so secluded to write a book."

"How do you know I'm not building something top secret and using the book writing as an excuse?"

"You don't seem like the type. What book are you writing?"

"A book about a murder. How do you know I'm not the type?"

Tony and Ingrid both had their arms crossed and were about an inch apart. Tony smiled and began laughing. Ingrid attempted to hide her smile. He patted her shoulder and said, "That's enough of that. Well, it was really nice of you to let us use the cabin."

"It's my uncle's cabin."

"Whatever." Tony walked to the front porch. Bruce followed waving to Ingrid. Ingrid collapsed on the couch, exhausted from the socialization. After a few minutes her uncle came up to her.

"Long day?"

"The last part of it."

"The team seemed to like you."

"I guess."

"Especially Steve. He _really_ liked you."

"Stop! No! I like my solitude."

"Solitude, solitude, solitude. That's all I ever hear. 'Oh, Uncle Eric, can I please use the cabin. I want to be alone for a little bit.'"

"I just don't like people."

"Huh." Eric said waving his hand. "I am going back to town now. Is there anything you need?"

"I'm running low on milk."

"Again? If you didn't drink ten cups of tea a day, you might not run out of milk so quickly. Or try to drink it without milk."

"I don't like it without milk."

"Ah. What am I going to do with you?"

Ingrid got up and gave her uncle a hug. "You are my favorite uncle."

"I am your only uncle." Eric stated with a hint of sadness.

"Either way. You are my favorite."

Eric smiled. They said their goodbyes and Ingrid was left alone, again. She went into the bedroom and grabbed her computer bag. She got out her laptop and began writing her novel.


	2. An Unexpected Journey

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Journey

Ingrid awoke the next morning to discover that she had fallen asleep on the couch with her laptop on her stomach. She glanced at the blank screen and tried to remember how much she had written. She grimaced remembering that she had deleted what she had written out of anger. She cursed her inner perfectionist and hoped that she had not emptied the trash on her computer. After a long while of staring up at the ceiling she slowly got up, shut the laptop cover, put it on the table, and went into the kitchen to make tea. As she turned on the water, she remembered the events of the day before. She remembered her uncle coming over with the Avengers, her making tea, and Steve Rogers. Her heart beat faster at the thought of his Greek-statue like body. Physical aspects of a person mean nothing until you know their personality, she told herself. She shook her head to get rid of the thought of Steve's body. She instead thought about her day's activities. First she would take a swim in the cold lake, that would help invigorate her body and mind, then she would have breakfast and enjoy savoring it on the deck at the lake. Finally she would spend the rest of the day writing.

She made her morning coffee and bun and walked down to the lake to swim. She didn't own a bathing suit, so she ended up wearing a pair of old shorts and a t-shirt. She placed her breakfast directly on the dock and dived into the cold water. She arranged herself so she could float on her back. As she floated in the water, she felt a smile on her face. She was comfortable where she was, and no intention of leaving anytime soon. When she finally had enough of the cold water, she got out and sat herself on the dock and had her breakfast. She watched intently as the water lapped the shore, and imagined herself as a fish. After what felt like mere seconds, she got out of the water and grabbed her coffee, which was no longer warm, but it was the cold temperature that she enjoyed. She swung her legs over the dock and had them grazing the lake, dipping her toes in occasionally. After finishing her cold coffee, she lay down on the dock and slowly ate her bun, while continuing to dip her feet into the water. Soon, she fell asleep.

When she woke up, Steve was looming over her. She attempted to stand up, but instead lost her balance and fell into the water. When she came back up, she came face to face with a laughing Steve. She tried her best to hide her smile, but she too found amusement in her situation. Without saying anything, he extended his hand to help her out of the water. She grabbed it, and noticed how easily he pulled her out, as if she were weightless. Steve handed her the slightly wet towel that she had brought down for her swim. Steve's smile was still on his face as he spoke to her.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Again."

"That's okay. I am naturally jumpy. Why are you here?"

"Oh, um, your uncle and the team needed to have another meeting, and we saw you lying down on the dock, but you weren't moving, so I volunteered to check on you."

"Oh…thanks…um…I guess I'll head up to the cabin."

"I'll walk with you."

They walked together up the set of stairs that connected the cabin to the lake. When they reached the door, Ingrid's uncle barging through the door and embraced his niece. Ingrid struggled to breathe, because his hug was so tight.

"Uncle Eric, I can't breathe." She exclaimed.

He let her go and grabbed her arms, "I was so worried about you. You lie so still when you think. Some days I hate your zoning out."

"I wasn't zoned out. I fell asleep." She mumbled.

"It's okay. I am just glad you are alright."

Ingrid was confused, she had never seen her uncle so on edge. There have been plenty of times in her life where she would zone out for hours, and it never really seemed to bother her uncle. However, this time was different, her uncle seemed so nervous.

"What's going on? Why are you so freaked out?"

"Come in, I'll tell you."

She walked into the cabin following her uncle with Steve bringing up the rear. The Avengers were sitting much as they had previously, however this time they too seemed more on edge. When Eric walked into the room, she noticed that Natasha seemed to jump to reach for her weapon in her holster, as if anticipating an attack. Ingrid managed to lock eyes with Tony, who grinned his cocky grin.

"I see that someone is still alive."

"Thanks for your concern, Tony. I am glad my living state is pleasing to you."

"Okay, calm down Shakespeare, you don't have to be that formal."

"But good sir, it is imperative that I maintain my current formal attitude with you so that we may be able to converse on the topic at hand without vulgarity."

Natasha snickered at this, cleared her throat, and spoke, "I think it's important that we stick to the matter at hand."

"Thank you Natasha, for getting us back on track. Remind me to put a gold star next to your name on the sticker chart when we get back to Stark Tower." Tony replied.

Natasha rolled her eyes, and Eric began to talk to Ingrid to get her up to date.

"You remember Loki, correct?"

"The trickster God who tried to take over Earth a couple years ago?" Asked Ingrid.

"Yes, the same one. Well, he's back."

"Again? Isn't he tired of trying to take over things?"

"I guess not, because he teamed up with Magneto and Doctor Doom."

"Doctor Doom? Really? That's the name he selected for himself? Does he have a medical degree?"

"This isn't the time for jokes."

"Sorry. Why did they team up?

"Well, first I have to tell you the whole story. Approximately two months ago, Thor discovered that Loki was still alive and had faked his death, and he promptly disappeared. Natasha and Clint attempted to locate him for weeks, going to various locations to seek him out, and since S.H.I.E.L.D. has been taken over by Hydra, they had to do this secretly. They found him in London, meeting with Magneto and Doom. Last week Tony found that there were members of the public who were disappearing at a rapid rate, and returning with abnormal abilities. When we met here yesterday, we had found the location of the latest disappearance, and we were planning to go observe what was going on. Here is where the trouble is. As Thor, Tony, and Steve discovered, these people are being altered."

"Altered?" Asked Ingrid

"Yes, they are being genetically modified. It seemed that Loki managed to get his hands on the super soldier serum, while Magneto managed to create a mutant gene that artificially reconstructs the person's DNA to obtain genetic powers."

"What about Doctor Doom? What's his role in all of this?"

"We have not figured this out yet. That is what concerns us. We see Loki's part and Magneto's part, but not Doom's."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, we have the spies," He said pointing at Natasha and Clint, "We have the science and the brain," he pointed at Tony and Bruce, "and the strength." He pointed at Thor and Steve.

"And you need a burglar? Even if I don't look like one?"

"I understood that reference!" Exclaimed Steve.

"Good for you." Remarked Tony, sarcastically.

"We NEED," Eric said loudly to stop the potential fight, "An observer. Someone who thinks outside of the box, and is able to see things for what they are."

"So, you need a hobbit." Ingrid stated.

Eric groaned at her comment. Steve stepped in, "Yes. We need a hobbit."

Ingrid was silent for a bit. She still didn't understand why she was being asked to join in on the adventure. She was determined, however, to keep her solitude.

"I don't think I'll be of any help, I'm good here."

Eric's eyebrows furrowed. He was not surprised by her answer, but he was worried about her. He failed to mention the massive target the Avenger's brought with them, and how he was worried her life was in danger. He needed her to come along, for his own sake. He didn't want to lose another member of his slowly shrinking family. Instead, he attempted to get to her adventurous side, the side he saw in her books, the side he knew she was hiding from the rest of the group.

"Imagine how fun it would be, to come with us to New York City. You can stay in Stark Tower, and enjoy your time, and only have to help the Avengers every once in a while."

"I'm not a child, Uncle. I would not enjoy my time in New York City, there are way too many people there."

"That's why it's called New York _City_." Commented Tony.

"No. Really. Brand new information. Tell me more of this 'city' you speak of."

"Ingrid. Look. You have to come with us. It's not safe here." Eric pleaded.

"It's safe, Uncle Eric. No one knows where this cabin is. It's off the grid!"

"There are spies every where. Hydra infiltrated SHEILD for years before taking over. They are very cunning and can hide in the shadows. You need to come with us. Just in case."

Ingrid was quiet, contemplating the matter at hand. She knew that her uncle meant well, but she didn't want to leave her solitude and go to a big city. Looking her uncle in the eye, she gave a strong and resounding no.

Her uncle was visibly upset, but he held his ground, "Either you agree and come along, or I will force you."

The room grew silent, the only noise that was audible was the rustling of the leaves and the tweeting of the birds outside. Ingrid was shocked¿Ú˘Ò, he uncle never forced her to do anything, even when she refused to go to school for a month when she was twelve. In anger, she turned to leave the room, but Steve was blocking the doorway.

"Could you please move out of the way?" She asked.

"No ma'am. Not unless you agree to come with us." He replied.

"I told you Ingrid. Either you agree to come with us, or I have to force you." Said Eric.

"Then, you will have to force me." Ingrid challenged, attempting to call Eric's bluff.

However, Eric was not bluffing. He nodded to Steve who scooped of Ingrid and flung her across his shoulder. She let out a yelp.

"Are you serious?!" She yelled.

"I told you, you had to come." Said Eric.

Ingrid was mad. She tried to fight her way out of Steve's grasp, but he was far to strong.

"This is STUPID! I'll be fine on my own, in the cabin!" She tried to argue.

"No. You won't!"

"Fine. I'll come with you, just put me down."

Steve looked at Eric, who nodded. Steve put Ingrid back down gently, and she quickly smoothed herself out. She glared at Eric, who stepped back so as to avoid any potential flying objects. To walked up to Eric and poked him in the chest, "What. Is. Your. Obsession. With. Getting. Me. Out. Of. This. Cabin." She hissed, poking him after every word. He rubbed the now sore area with his hand. He looked at her with a concerned look. "I just need you to be safe." He said softly. Ingrid felt a little guilty for behaving as if she were starring in her own reality TV show. She quietly nodded her head and went into the bedroom to pack up her stuff.


	3. That's the Tower of Love

Chapter 3: That's the Tower of Love

Ingrid and the Avengers arrived in New York City the next day. Ingrid was saddened to leave the peaceful life of the cabin and enter into the noisy buzz of NYC. She bumped her head into the glass of the taxi door repeatedly, attempted to wake herself up from the situation that she hoped was just a dream. She knew she was being over dramatic; New York might not be too bad. She had never been there, and was slightly excited at the prospect of seeing some of the places that she had read about. She turned around and looked at her uncle, who was concentrating on a document in his hands. He looked up and met her angry eyes.

"What now?" He asked, "Are you still angry?"

"Yes. I wanted to stay in the cabin."

Eric put his head in his hands, and let out a groan. Ingrid smirked at his reaction, since she had only said that to irritate him. Steve let a chuckle when he heard the exchange, and Ingrid quickly looked at him and then looked away and looked out the window. Steve and Eric began talking.

"Was that document useful, Mr. Selvig?"

"Yes, it is very useful. And call me Eric."

"Does the document tell us how we are going to take down Magneto and Loki, _Eric_?"

"Not really, but it's a good start. You see this here?" Eric pointed to a massive equation that to Ingrid looked more like a fake word rather than math, "This is the formula that will help us deconstruct the altered DNA, and reverse the effects that the mutation causes. There is just one problem, it's incomplete."

Steve nodded his head in understanding, while Ingrid stared at the series of letters and numbers, wondering if her vision was failing her. Eric and Steve continued talking, but the science was too much for Ingrid, so she decided to zone out. She began to imagine her life in New York. Walking around in Central Park, strolling down the streets of Manhattan, eating at a small bistro, and coming home to see Steve waiting with dinner. She violently shook her head to come to her senses. Solitude, solitude, solitude, she reminded herself. She liked being alone, and that was that. She looked toward her uncle and Steve again and saw that they were staring at her expectantly.

"What…" She asked.

"We just asked you a question." Steve said.

"Oh. Um. Yes…I agree?"

"You agree to learn hand to hand combat with Natasha?" Steve asked.

Ingrid's eyes got wide and all she could picture was Natasha punching her repeatedly and her sprawled on the floor groaning in pain. She looked at Steve and her uncle and yelled, "NO! I'M GOOD. I'LL JUST DIE, THANKS." Then she turned around dramatically and looked out the window, mentally slapping herself for not paying attention. She heard Steve chuckle softly.

"Natasha isn't that bad. She's taught others." He said..

"No thanks. She looks like she could rip my face off with her pinky and then wear it as a mask." She quickly stated in one breath.

Steve laughed even harder at the image of a Ted Bundy-esque Natasha, adding humor to the horrifying story he had read a few months ago. He looked Eric questioningly, and Eric merely shrugged his shoulders and continued to read the documents in his hands. Steve then looked at Ingrid and smiled. He liked her. He liked her hidden spunk that came out in small snarky bursts, and he liked that she was a thinker. He was always surrounded by people of action and quick thinking that it was refreshing to meet someone who thought as long and hard as she did at times. He had the sudden urge to touch her hair, but stopped himself before his hand could overtake his brain. Ingrid tuned to look at him, and it was his turn to look away.

Ingrid's eyes kept going back to Steve. She liked looking at him. He was comfortable to look at, if that made any sense, but then again, Ingrid herself couldn't explain it. She liked his smile, his polite demeanor, and his kind disposition. She also liked his butt, and made sure to make a note to never mention that out loud. Once again she focused on what was outside the window.

They arrived at Stark Tower a few minutes later, so Ingrid's train of thought was interrupted, again. She stepped out of the cab and looked up at the massive tower. She had seen tall buildings before in downtown Houston, but none as massively tall as Stark Tower. She had wondered how it even withstood its height, and how it did not collapse on itself. The door opened revealing Tony, dressed to the nine in his tailored suit and a large smile on his face.

"Hello! Welcome! Come in and let me show you this building's amazing features." He yelled.

Ingrid groaned in irritation. She didn't care about the building's features. She just wanted to go to her room and write. Okay, maybe not write, probably read. Well, watch TV. She was probably going to take a nap. However, to be polite, she decided to follow Tony, who was jumping up and down like a small child. Steve and Eric said their goodbyes, having already been on the tour before and had established what room they were staying in. They walked endlessly through hallways, looking at various buttons and holograms, going up and down the elevator. Finally, they reached the rooms. Tony pointed at the various doors and told Ingrid who was in each room.

"Natasha is in the first room on the left, Clint is next door, then Bruce, then Thor, but he's usually in Asgard, so that room is pretty empty, on the other is Eric's room, Steve's, and this one is yours." He pointed to her right at the door across the way from Natasha's. Ingrid was panicking on the inside, she was really scared of Natasha, and being so close to her made her nervous. She looked at Tony, who was smirking at her.

"I put you next to Uncle Sam in case you decide to have midnight _visits_." Tony said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "Can I have the key please?" She replied holding up her hand.

"You don't want to know his sleep schedule? Or the hours in which you can casually 'bump into him' and lock eyes with him, and fall madly in love?" Tony said with false dramatic flair. He handed her the keycard.

"I'm good. I'll just bump into him…um…normally." Ingrid mumbled, slightly embarrassed at Tony's uncanny ability to somehow read her thoughts. She fumbled to get the keycard in the slot, and even managed to drop it a couple times, with Tony chuckling in the background. She finally managed to get the card in the door, and after managing to miss the door handle and slamming into the door, she walked inside. As she slammed the door behind her she shook her head in irritation. She was normally cool and collected, able to walk all over men's hearts with her high heels. Well, no. Not really. She was at least able to keep her thoughts deep inside, and yet lately, she felt like they were bubbling up. Finally focusing on the present, she decided to have a look around the room.

It was a nice room with shadow lighting. It had a simple bed with a deep green cover and some pillows, there was a simple nightstand with a simple table lamp, and a small kitchenette, which she was thankful to have, because she like to have her breakfast in solitude, so she could gather her thoughts for the day. She also noticed a simple wooden desk with a typewriter on it. She rolled her eyes at the device. It was a complicated and an unnecessary device to use, and not to mention the amount of paper for her to be able to write her novel. However, at a second glance, she noticed that it added to the simplicity of the room, so she left it where it was. A large yawn escaped from her, so she decided it was time to go to sleep. Without changing or taking off her shoes, she hopped into bed and went to sleep

Ingrid woke up the next morning, slightly confused as to where she was. Then she remembered, groaned, and attempted to wrap the pillow around her head. Since she was awake, she knew she would never be able to fall back asleep. She got up and walked towards the kitchenette. She opened the cabinets, and was surprised to see it stocked with all kinds of stuff. After rummaging around for what felt like hours, she finally found a small box of tea and a mug. She was disappointed to see that the tea was Lipton, but decided to drink it anyways. She took her tea and sat at the desk in front of the typewriter. She began zoning out and imagining herself having an adventure that would make Bilbo Baggins envious. Before she could continue her thoughts, a knock came at the door. Ingrid put her mug on the desk, and slowly got up to see who was there. To her surprise, and her fear, Natasha was waiting at the door.

"We are going to practice some self-defense in about thirty minutes in the gym. Don't bother taking a shower, you can take one afterwards." Natasha said, and quickly walked away from the door. Ingrid stood there perplexed and a little terrified. She didn't know the first thing about self-defense, except for her multiple viewings of _Miss Congeniality_. Slowly she closed the door and got ready for the torture that she was sure she would go through.

Two hours later and Ingrid was laying on the floor in the gym in complete pain. She had spent the good part of the time getting slammed onto the floor by Natasha. However, she did manage to get in a couple of punches here and there, making herself proud. Natasha loomed over and asked, "You plan on getting up? We have a couple more rounds to go."

"No thanks, I'm good." Ingrid replied, slightly out of breath.

"Come on. There are more moves you need to learn."

"Nah. I'll pass. If someone attacks, I'll just let them kill me." Ingrid closed her eyes.

"It's not that bad. I've been really gentle."

"That's you being gentle? I have more bruises on my body than…um…something that has a lot of bruises."

"How about I let you get a couple more hits?"

"Hitting you is like hitting a wall, it hurts my hand and you don't move an inch."

"I'll fall this time."

Ingrid groaned and got up. Throughout the entire exercise, Natasha had been more and more responsive and even on occasion, nice to Ingrid. Her kindness did not stop her from hitting Ingrid pretty hard. When she finally got up, Natasha motioned for her to follow. They stood directly in the middle of the wrestling mat, and Ingrid waited for instructions.

"Attack me." Natasha told her. Ingrid ran and attempted to grab her, but Natasha managed to get ahold of her arm and flip her over, and Ingrid landed on the floor, again.

"I thought we agreed that I was going to get a couple of hits." Whined Ingrid.

"I lied." Said Natasha, with a small smile.

Ingrid groaned even louder, and was sure that she had broken something. A loud voice boomed through the gym.

"I hope you are being gentle." Yelled Steve, who was walking with Clint.

"I am being gentle." Replied Natasha.

"No, she's not!" Added Ingrid.

Steve chuckled and said, "I think she's had enough, Nat."

"But, we haven't gotten to roundhouse kicks yet."

Ingrid jumped up, nearly falling back over from the quick movement. "No. No roundhouse kicks. I'm not Chuck Norris, and I really don't care to be."

Natasha threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "Fine. Whatever. If you get attacked, don't blame me."

"If I get attacked, blaming you will not be the first thing I think of. I'll just go limp noodle."

Steve, Natasha, and Clint all looked at her questioningly.

"You know, limp noodle? When you try to lift a small kid and they just managed to slip out of your arms because they go all…limp. I could do that…in real life." She stated.

"So your main defense against someone attacking you, is to go limp." Natasha said.

"Uh….yes. That was the plan." Ingrid confirmed awkwardly. She could see Steve and Natasha trying to hold back smiles, and Clint was already laughing.

"That is the best. Could you imagine if we tried to teach the recruits that tactic? Hilarious." Clint said between giggles.

"I thought it was a very good tactic. I haven't tried it yet, but it works for small kids." Ingrid tried to argue.

"It's an okay tactic." Natasha said, somewhat encouragingly, "But you still need to know how to defend yourself."

"Ugh. Fine." Ingrid replied, and with that, Natasha grabbed her arm and flipped Ingrid over.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. You have the funniest facial expression when I do that." Natasha said with a smile.

Ingrid just let out a large groan and stood up to continue her training.


	4. The One With the Cup of Coffee

****I apologize for the lack of a new chapter for so long. I got so caught up with finals and paper writing, then I needed a month for my poor brain to recuperate...and I lost my muse. I finally found my motivation, and I am back on track with my writing. Once again, sorry.****

When Natasha and Ingrid had finished with the self-defense lesson, Ingrid felt terrible. Her back was aching, and she was pretty sure her arm was broken. She slowly walked to her door and pulled out her keycard, excited at the prospect of finally being able to shower and to be able to take a nap, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Steve's stupid smiling face. Okay, so his face was great and handsome, but it wasn't really something she wanted to see at the moment. After a couple of seconds of staring, she finally decided to break the silence.

"Yes?" She asked.

Steve shook his head, as if he were deep in thought, "Oh. Um. I was going to…ask how you are?"

"I'm fine…?"

"Oh. Good. Because I know that Natasha can be tough sometimes."

"It's okay. I just feel like my entire body is broken, so no big deal."

Steve smiled. He put his hand on her shoulder in false support. "That's fine. We can always reconstruct your body with metal."

"Yeah, but then I couldn't go limp noodle on Magneto. So…not a good idea."

Steve snorted in amusement. Then he gathered up his courage and asked her what he he'd been dying to ask, "Want to get some coffee?"

Ingrid was taken aback. She began fumbling with her keycard and dropped it. She felt her face growing redder by the second. After what seemed hours, she finally answered, stuttering, "Uh, I-I-I-I don't like coffee." She mentally slapped herself for not just agreeing to go.

"Oh. Well, there are other drinks you can order."

"Right. Then…yeah. Sure." She finally got the keycard into the slot, opened the door, went in and shut the door. She lay down on the bed, and suddenly shot up, "Crap! I forgot to ask what time!" She ran to the door and opened it to see Steve with his hand up as if he were about to knock. "What time?" They both said quickly.

"How about in an hour?" Steve asked.

"Great. An hour. Totes. Can do, Scooby Doo." Ingrid said very fast. She quickly slammed the door and ran quickly to shower.

An hour later, Ingrid was almost ready. She had on jeans and her nicest t-shirt. When she packed to stay in the cabin, she was aiming for comfort, not fashion, so most of the things in her suitcase were old shirts and jeans. However, in the rush of the moment, she managed to find a shirt that wasn't too old. She kept attempting to rearrange her hair, looking to see if it looked better up or down, but gave up and left it down. A knock came at the door and she hastily walked to it and opened it. Steve stood there, dressed casually in jeans in a t-shirt. Ingrid was relieved to see that he too had opted for a more casual look. He smiled at her and asked her if she was ready. She was as ready as she was every going to be. As they walked through the hall, he offered her his arm. She took it and they walked toward the elevator together. Before they made it to the elevator, a voice called out to them, "Be careful! Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

They both turned around and saw Tony smirking at them.

Steve frowned at him and responded, "There isn't much that can't be done if we are supposed to follow your set of morals."

Ingrid smirked at this, but managed to quickly hide it when Tony turned his attention to her. "You know he's an old man right?" He told her.

"No. Really. Shocker. Brand new information." Ingrid retorted sarcastically.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Asked Steve.

"Nah. It's more fun bugging you." Tony said, grinning wildly.

Steve pressed the call button for the elevator several times, irritated.

"You only need to press that button once, you know. Elevators have changed since the 40s." Tony announced, his smile broadening.

"I'm aware. I have taken a modern elevator before, you know."

"So you claim."

"Can you stop?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's fun."

Steve looked ready to kill Tony, but before he could launch his attack, the elevator dinged. Ingrid grabbed Steve's arm and dragged him into the box and yelled her goodbye to Tony. As they traveled down the elevator, Ingrid and Steve stood oddly next to one another. She was unsure of what to say or do. She turned to face Steve, and found him already looking at her. Taking the opportunity to ease the tension, she began the conversation.

"So. Tony. What a jerk." She said awkwardly.

"I don't know if I would use the term jerk. He's just got a strange sense of humor. After working with him for a while and seeing him in action, I know he's not the irresponsible playboy he makes himself out to be."

"My uncle told me about that. He said Tony almost died saving everyone."

"Yeah. It was a stupid, but brave move."

Ingrid merely nodded her head and said no more on the subject. They spent the rest of the ride in silence. When they got to the ground floor, they exited the elevator and walked through the lobby.

Ingrid was used to awkward silences, she had had many of them throughout her life, but nothing prepared her for the awkward silence that filled the car as she and Steve journeyed to the café. She usually had quite a bit to say, but around Steve she was speechless, afraid of him thinking she was weird. Instead, she stared at him, like any normal person. Her hand attempted to touch his hair, but she exercised incredible will power, and instead pretended that she was trying to swat away an imaginary bug. In her constant waving about, she managed to hit Steve square in the jaw. Her eyes widened and she began to apologize.

"I am so sorry!"

"Wow. You are pretty strong." He replied holding his jaw, wincing in pain.

"What? Really?" She said, both worried and impressed.

"No, I just thought that would make you feel better after pretending to swat a fly for the past five minutes." He said, his smile broadening.

Ingrid's face turned red, "You didn't see the fly? It was huge. With wings…and stuff…" she muttered, her voice getting more and more high pitched.

"Really? How big." Steve asked, amused.

"Oh, um, this big," Ingrid answered, showing an inch of space between her thumb and index finger.

"Wow, that's pretty big for an imaginary fly." Steve said, shaking with laughter.

"Whatever." Grumbled Ingrid.

"Just out of curiosity, what were you doing?" He asked.

"Nothing." Quickly replied Ingrid.

"Come on, I won't judge." He said, urging her to tell him.

"Uh…I was…um…trying to…touch…your hair." She mumbled. Steve looked at her puzzled. "It just looks so soft, and I wanted to see if it was as soft as it looked, and so my hand just kind of moved to touch it, but then my brain was like 'Nooooooo. Don't do that!' So I panicked and began to swat and imaginary fly." She said quickly.

Steve just smiled. Suddenly grabbed her hand and placed it on his head, while keeping his hand on top of hers, and allowed her to get a good feel of his hair. "There. Is it as soft as you thought?"

For a second, Ingrid was speechless. All she could do was stroke his hair. Yes, it was soft, but that's not what rendered her speechless. The touching of hands surprised her. His hand was big and warm, and soft, and she felt like she never wanted that hand to leave hers. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke. "It's pretty soft. What kind of conditioner do you use?"

Steve's hand moved and allowed her hand to drop from his head. "I'm not sure. It's whatever Tony has inside the showers at the Tower."

"Oh. Cool."

Steve looked ready to ask something, but was interrupted by the driver, announcing that they had reached their destination. Steve opened the door and got out, then he held the door open and help out his hand for Ingrid to grab. Not wanting to make another awkward moment, she motioned for him to move his hand and got out on her own.

"Thanks, but I prefer to get out on my own." She said, lying.

"It's okay. I understand." Steve replied.

He walked up to the door to the café and held it open for Ingrid. She walked through, and took a deep breath. Even though she hated the taste of coffee, she loved the smell. It reminded her of summers with her family, and immediately relaxed. Steve ushered her to a table and insisted on getting everything, leaving Ingrid with her thoughts. As she watched him walk up to the counter and use his dazzling smile to sweetly order the beverages and pastries, Ingrid began to imagine what it would be like to hug him. She wondering if he was a soft hugger or if it would feel like she was hugging a stone. She could almost feel the warmth radiating from his body as she imagined herself hugging him, and she was sure that there was no way her arms would have wrapped all the way around his torso. When it seemed like she could no longer hold herself back from hugging Steve, he came over with coffee mugs in his hand.

"Here's your tea." He said, passing one of the mugs to her.

"Great." She grabbed the cup and took a long sip.

"Is it good?" He asked, taking a sip of his own drink.

"Yep."

"Good."

Once again, a silent moment passed between them, neither of them knowing what to do. Ingrid wondered why this always seemed to happen. She decided not to let another long moment pass, and brought up a topic for them to discuss.

"So, the Second World War, what was that like?" She inquired.

"It was brutal." He answered quickly.

"On, interesting. Did you fight against the Germans or the Japanese?"

"Germans. I thought your uncle told you everything?"

"Well, he doesn't give that detailed of information. I was just curious, because more soldier were sent to Japan and the Pacific Islands rather than Europe, so I wanted to know which one you were at."

"I was in Europe."

"Is that where you met Peggy?"

"How do you know about Peggy?"

"As I told you before, my uncle tells me a lot of stuff."

"I met Peggy while I was training, and we got close when I got the serum to turn into a super soldier."

"Do you miss her?"

"Sometimes. It's just been quite a few years since the 40's."

"I would think so. Have you seen her since?"

"Yeah, and she's had a great life. She showed me tons of pictures."

"Must have been nice to see someone you care about after so long."

"Well, it didn't feel so long to me."

"I meant for her. She spent over seventy years without someone she cared about, she had to learn how to live without you."

"Don't I have to do the same thing?" Steve said, sounding a bit irritated.

Ingrid thought about this for a couple minutes and answered, "Yeah, you probably do. Sorry."

"It's alright. Sorry for snapping."

"No, I deserved it. I get really curious sometimes and ask a lot of questions."

"You can ask as many questions as you want. Don't worry about me getting mad."

"I don't think I want to get you mad. You could probably kill me with your pinky."

Steve chuckled, "What makes you think I would ever try to kill you?"

Ingrid turned red, "Well, one day I'm going to ask something that will send you over the edge."

Steve turned serious for a moment and looked Ingrid straight in the eye, "You don't ever have to worry about asking me questions." He reached over and touched her arm sending shivers down her back, "I promise that." He said. Ingrid didn't say anything, but smiled and finished drinking her tea.


	5. I'm Up All Night to Get Loki

When Steve and Ingrid got back to the tower, Fury was waiting for them in the lobby. He walked quickly up to Steve and began talking.

"We need you in Paris."

"What's happening in Paris?"

"Magneto is attacking the Eiffel Tower."

"Why?"

"Does it matter why?"

"Maybe he plans on stealing it, and the rest of us have to figure out where in the world he is." Ingrid interjected.

Fury and Steve looked at Ingrid questioningly.

"You know…like Carmen Sandiego…?" Ingrid offered.

Steve looked more perplexed.

"It's a computer game from the 90s. The lady named Carmen Sandiego would steal national monuments, and you would have to use geography skills to figure out where she was…never mind. I thought it was funny."

Fury turned back to Steve and continued telling him his instructions. As they continued, Ingrid quietly made her way to the elevator and up to her room. She walked to her door and looked for her room key.

"Where is it?" She mumbled to herself.

"Looking for this?" A voice said from behind her. Ingrid turned around and saw Bruce holding up her key, "You dropped it on your way out. I waited until you came back. I didn't want to disturb your date."

"It wasn't a date. It was more like, a get together with coffee." She stated, getting the key from Bruce.

Bruce grinned, "Of course. Here's your key anyways."

"Are you also going to Paris tonight?" Ingrid asked.

"No, the other guy is reserved strictly for big battles. For now, I'm in the lab."

"Oh, cool. What do you do there?"

"Well, right now I am looking at the big formula, trying to figure out what's missing."

"That sounds interesting."

"It's not really. I just get more and more irritated when I see it."

"Want me to take a look?"

"Do you have an interest in chemistry or physics?"

"Um…no. I just thought that would be the most polite and logical answer."

Bruce smiled at this confession and reassured Ingrid, "That's okay. Thanks for the offer. I have to make my way back, good night."

"Good night." Ingrid replied sticking the keycard into the slot so she could open her door. When she got inside, she plopped down onto the bed and went to sleep.

Later that night, Ingrid awoke to a knocking on her door. It wasn't an urgent knock, as if some emergency were happening, but a gentle one. She pulled herself out of bed and slowly dragged her way to the door. She pushed down the handle and slowly opened the door, half-asleep. When the door was finally opened enough to see who the knocker was, she came face to face with Steve. This was not the same Steve who had gone to Paris, this Steve was sweaty and dirty, as if he had been in a vicious fight. He didn't seem tired, but instead looked perplexed.

"Hey, you left really quickly earlier." He said with some concern.

"Yeah. Sorry. You looked busy. So I decided it was best if I went to the hospital on my own." She mumbled, still tired.

"The hospital?! Is everything ok?" Steve exclaimed, now looking her over for any injuries.

"I meant my room! Not the hospital! Sorry!" She said, waking up slightly when she realized her mistake. "Sometimes when I'm tired, I mix up my words."

"Oh okay. I just thought our date might not have been as good I thought it was."

"That was a date?" She asked.

"Yeah. What did you think it was?"

"A casual get together."

"Why did you think that?" Steve asked, now smiling.

"I don't know. The word date just sounds so formal. Like I should be wearing a dress and heels, eating somewhere that makes you use a lot of forks or something."

"Do you want to eat somewhere that makes you use a lot of forks?"

"No. I liked our thing. It was nice. It had ambiance."

"It was a Starbucks."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter where you go, it matters who you go with." She replied. She was incredibly tired, and her feet were beginning to ache, so she started leaning on the door. However, as she was leaning, she realized that the door was open and began to fall. Before she could hit the ground, Steve caught her by her arms and pulled her back up. Ingrid felt tingles as she sensed his hands around her upper arms.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm just really sleepy. I'm so uncoordinated when I am sleepy."

"To be honest, you aren't that coordinated when you are awake." Steve said teasingly.

Ingrid giggled in return. Without thinking or saying good night, she turned around and flopped back into bed, and quickly went to sleep. Steve stood at the door, confused and slightly amused. He grabbed the handle of the door and quietly closed it, leaving Ingrid to sleep.

The next morning, Ingrid woke up with a vague memory of the late night conversation. She decided that she would go down to the dining hall instead of staying holed up in her room. Putting on a robe she thought about the night before, and the _casual_ date she and Steve had had. It was nice spending time with him, and when they finally moved on from the awkward questioning she had begun, they actually had a nice time. They talked about politics, history, pop culture. Steve new surprisingly a lot about some of the new pop culture references, and he was very attentive when Ingrid explained the ones he wasn't aware of. All in all it was a fun evening and she hoped that there would be another one.

She made her way down to the dining floor, and when she exited the elevator, she saw that the Avengers were already sitting and enjoying breakfast. They sounded very happy and were deep in conversation, which made Ingrid wonder if she should go back up and enjoy a solitary breakfast. Before she could make her move, Tony looked up and proclaimed, "There she is! Come over here, we have an empty spot between me and your uncle!" Tony seemed to be in a very good mood, and was motioning very excitedly, so without much choice, Ingrid came and sat between him and her uncle. The sight of her uncle was something familiar to her. He sat with an untouched full plate of food in front of him, and a large pile of papers around it. He was intently looking at each page, as if the answer he was seeking was going to jump out and make itself known. She sighed and came and gave her uncle a hug. "Good morning!" She said to him.

"Ah. Good morning, Ingrid!" He said, slightly surprised to see his niece up and socializing so early. "What brings you down here? I remembered very vividly how much you enjoy your solitude."

"It's more of _who _brings her down here." Said Tony motioning towards Steve and winking at Ingrid.

Ingrid coughed slightly and looked quickly at the table for a quick reason as to why she was there and replied, "I…uh…ran out of tea." She grabbed a tea bag, and a cup and started to prepare her tea.

"Of course." Said her uncle in a disbelieving tone. However, he did not try to make a fuss about it, and instead turned back to his paper.

Ingrid turned to Tony and decided that she would try to talk to him, "Do you enjoy making people uncomfortable?" She asked.

"Yes. Of course I do. It's my favorite thing." He said, flashing her his signature cocky grin.

"Why?"

"It's how I test people's character."

Ingrid only nodded at this, not sure what to make of it, and instead turned to observe the others. Natasha and Clint were in deep conversation, making large hand gestures, Thor, who Ingrid discovered was very fond of Earth's breakfast foods, had managed to make his way down from Asgard to join his friends, and was currently working his way through a mountain of pancakes. Bruce was busy showing Steve the functions of his cell phone, and Steve was absorbing Bruce's words and furiously writing down notes. Her eyes lingered on Steve, and she looked at his hand, so strong and big, gripping the pen and writing. She remembered how it felt against her skin when he pulled her up the previous night, and found herself longing to be touched again. She imagined her and Steve cuddling up on a couch watching a movie, making dinner together, and walking hand in hand. Before she could continue her thoughts, a loud alarm sounded throughout the room.

"What ruckus this!? I have not finished my meal!" Hollered Thor, upset at the prospect of leaving his pancakes.

"It seems like we have a disturbance on the 4th floor." Said Natasha, quickly mumbling something in an earpiece.

"Thank God Pepper is out of town, that's the floor she normally works on." Said Tony, with a tone of relief in his voice.

Ingrid followed the group down the stairs to the fourth floor, curious to see what was occurring. When they came to the floor, all seemed normal and well. Nothing seemed disturbed, or even touched. However, when they stepped off the elevator and onto the floor, the image disappeared and revealed a completely destroyed room. There was a large hole in front of them, revealing the outside, and the rest of the room was completely black from what ever it was that caused the hole.

"What the hell happened here? Where's Bruce?" Demanded Tony.

"Uh…right here. I've been here the whole time." Replied Bruce nervously.

"Sorry. Just checking. How did they create the fake room?" Asked Tony

"There is but one creature who could create such an illusion. My brother, Loki." Said Thor.

"We don't know for sure it was him. It could have been a hologram." Natasha pointed out.

While they stood there, trying to determine what it was that caused the damage, Ingrid saw a small movement in the right hand corner of the room. She walked towards it. When she got to the source of the movement, she saw a small black robot-like square. It quivered slightly, and Ingrid turned to get the groups attention, when a flash of white light blinded her.

Ingrid blinked rapidly, trying to get her eyesight back to normal. When she could finally see clearly, she discovered that she was no longer in Stark Tower, but was instead in some kind of warehouse. There were armed men walking around, and a large covered item. She turned around and saw Loki and Magneto standing deep in conversation. Thinking that she has arrived there unnoticed, she attempted to leave the area, but smacked into an invisible wall. She let out a loud yelp as she fell over. Loki and Magneto turned around and looked at her with surprise.

"You are not Captain America." Said Magneto.

"What gave it away?" Retorted Ingrid. Irritated at having failed to make a getaway.

"We need the Captain." Loki insisted, slightly menacingly.

"That sounds like a personal problem." Ingrid replied.

"Who are you, anyway?" Magneto replied, pretending to show an interest in this stranger.

"Uh. Ingrid." She quickly stated.

"Ingrid, what?" Magneto pressed.

"Ingrid Gustavson." Ingrid lied. She didn't want Loki making the connection between her and her uncle.

"What were you doing in Stark Tower?" Loki asked.

Ingrid rolled her eyes, "Hunting elephants! What do you think? I work there. I'm the cleaning lady." She said, adding to her original fib.

Loki suddenly walked up to her, even walking through the invisible wall, and looked her straight in the eyes and spoke. "Why don't I believe you?"

Ingrid hesitated, "I don't know." She said quickly, breathing in deep.

"Who are you, really?" Loki said, more menacing that ever.

"I told you, Ingrid Gustavson." She said, as quickly and smoothly as possible.

"You're lying. I can tell." He growled. "I'm going to ask you one more time. Who. Are. You." He said, pointing a sharp finger at her.

"Ingrid Selvig." She said, a little disappointment at her quick surrender.

"Ah. See, now we hear the truth. What were you going at Stark Tower?" He said, a sly smile growing on his face."

"I-I, uh, am staying there, with my, uh, uncle." She said in a voice that was barely a whisper.

"Is your uncle Dr. Eric Selvig?" Loki asked, showing curiosity.

"Yes." She said, sounding more defeated that she had been earlier.

Loki's smile broadened, and he turned around to face Magneto and said, "This may be more simple than we had originally planned."


End file.
